7. I’m about to mislead him, so when he hears a rumor, he’ll go back to his own country. Then I’ll have him cut down by the sword in his own land."
8. The field commander heard that the Assyrian king had left Lachish. So he went back to the king and found him attacking Libnah.
9. Then the Assyrian king learned that Cush’s King Tirhakah was on his way to fight against him. So he sent messengers to Hezekiah again:
10. "Say this to Judah’s King Hezekiah: Don’t let the God you trust deceive you by saying, ‘Jerusalem won’t fall to the Assyrian king.’
11. You yourself have heard what Assyrian kings do to other countries, wiping them out. Is it likely that you will be saved?
12. Did the gods of the nations that my ancestors destroyed save them, the gods of Gozan, Haran, Rezeph, or the people of Eden in Telassar?
13. Where now is Hamath’s king, Arpad’s king, or the kings of Lair, Sepharvaim, Hena, or Ivvah?"
14. Hezekiah took the letters from the messengers and read them. Then he went to the temple and spread them out before the Lord.
15. Hezekiah prayed to the Lord:
16. "Lord of heavenly forces, God of Israel: you sit enthroned on the winged creatures. You alone are God over all the earth’s kingdoms. You made both heaven and earth.
17. Lord, turn your ear this way and hear! Lord, open your eyes and see! Listen to Sennacherib’s words. He sent them to insult the living God!
18. It’s true, Lord, that the Assyrian kings have destroyed all the nations and their lands.
19. The Assyrians burned the gods of those nations with fire because they aren’t real gods. They are only man-made creations of wood and stone. That’s how the Assyrians could destroy them.
20. So now, Lord our God, please save us from Sennacherib’s power! Then all the earth’s kingdoms will know that you alone are Lord."
21. Then Isaiah, Amoz’s son, sent a message to Hezekiah: The Lord God of Israel says this: Since you prayed to me about Assyria’s King Sennacherib,
22. this is the message that the Lord has spoken against him:The young woman, Daughter Zion, despises you and mocks you;Daughter Jerusalem shakes her head behind your back.
23. Whom did you insult and ridicule?Against whom did you raise your voiceand look on with disdain?It was against the holy one of Israel!